Charlevoix’s Casey Helstrom clears the final hurdle of the 300-meter hurdles during Wednesday’s Lake Michigan Conference championship at Kipke Field in Charlevoix. Helstrom won both the 300 and 110 hurdles for the Rayders, who won the league title. (STEVE FOLEY/NEWS-REVIEW)

CHARLEVOIX — His athletes did exactly what he asked them to do.

As a result, the Charlevoix boys’ track team captured the Lake Michigan Conference boys’ championship in convincing fashion Wednesday at Kipke Field.

The Rayders won seven events en route to 177 points. Defending league champion Traverse City St. Francis was second with 113.5, while Harbor Springs was third with 101.

St. Francis captured edged Harbor Springs, 132-122, to win the girls' title. Charlevoix was third with 117, while Boyne City placed fourth with 64.

Junior Eric Buday won both the 1600-meter run and 800, while Casey Helstrom won both the 110 and 300 hurdles to pace the Rayders, who on Saturday finished runner-up to Benzie Central in the Division III regional.

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“We had a good plan coming in and some of the teams here were a little sore,” Charlevoix coach Ken Plude said. “I know St. Francis pulled some guys out of key events and I ended up having to move some guys around as well.”

Charlevoix altered both of its winning relay teams because of injury. The 3200 relay team of Andrew Plude, Kirk Acharya, Will Larsen and Vinny VonLau, and the 1600 relay of Jake McLean, Neil Salisbury, Plude and Larsen were both pieced together for the first time.

“We had people that were injuried and we had some guys fill in for some relays that don’t normally get the limelight and they ended up being conference champs,” coach Plude said. “It was a great team effort.”

The Rayders' Bill Ivan finished first in the shot put.

Harbor Springs’ Jay Lechner took first place in the discus and finished the season undefeated in the event, while East Jordan’s Erik Brun won the pole vault.

“The boys did what they could do,” Harbor coach Emily Kloss said. “They had a full tank on Saturday in regionals, but only had a half tank here.

“Jay Lechner finishing undefeated in discus is a great feat and Connor Buntin had a personal best in pole vault at 11-6.”

The Harbor Springs girls were led by Maddie Buntin, who won both the 1600 and the 800. Harbor’s quartet of Taylor Sydow, Kaitlin Alessi, Jessica Hall and Nicole Love won the 3200 meter relay, and the Rams' Kristen Albert took first place in the high jump.

“The effort the girls gave and the way they went about it totally impressed me,” Harbor coach Kloss said. “It would’ve been nice to win, but I was really pleased for our team effort all the way around.

“I just asked them to give it all they got, and that’s exactly what the girls did. Nicole Love ran in the 3200 relay, then ran the (open 3200) in her last meet and just gave it her all.”

Charlevoix’s Sarah Potter won the shot put, while Boyne City’s Erica Westbrook was first in the 3200.

“We were very excited about the fourth-place overall finish,” Boyne City coach Andy Place said. “Grayling, Elk Rapids and Kalkaska had beaten us at the regional. We would’ve finished seventh if the girls had not pushed themselves.

“The girls worked hard all year for this meet and it’s great when it pays off for them.”